City set to start Redhawk annexation

TEMECULA -- The city's most recent journey toward the annexation
of Redhawk into Temecula will officially begin Tuesday night, three
months after city and county officials cleared the way.

The Temecula City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday
night to officially start the process -- one that could ultimately
see the annexation of the 1,275-acre residential community in July
of 2005.

The council meeting begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 43200
Business Park Drive.

So far, the annexation bid seems to have the support of the
residents of the nearly 2,000-home community, said George
Spiliotis, an executive officer with the Riverside County Local
Agency Formation Commission. The county agency has ultimate say
over the annexation approval.

That community support can be seen in the number of signatures
from Redhawk residents who back the annexation, Spiliotis said.

The county agency needs signatures of support from at least 5
percent of the registered voters in Redhawk. That community turned
in more than 700 valid signatures from its 2,640 registered voters,
he said.

"Just the fact that they got 27 percent, that is extremely
high," Spiliotis said. "That's an indication of support."

City officials turned in most of their application last week to
start the annexation process. The Temecula City Council must OK the
annexation, however, before the annexation process can really
begin, Spiliotis said.

If and when the county commission approves the annexation --
which could happen by early next year -- the county will hold
public hearings to make sure the community is behind the plan.

The issue will also be put before voters -- probably in the
March 2004 election, which is also the presidential primary
election. Temecula has already set aside $50,000 to hold that
election.

Assistant City Manager Jim O'Grady said the city mailed out some
2,800 notices two weeks ago to let Redhawk residents know of the
upcoming public hearing.

Tuesday night's public hearing will come some three months after
the city approved a deal with the county to pave the way for
annexing the community.

The deal between the city and the county is complex. It
incorporates an understanding that the city and county had with
regard to splitting sales tax revenues from the stores on the 69
acres of commercial property in Redhawk -- property that is also
part of the area that could be annexed by Temecula.

City officials have said they worried about covering the
additional costs of annexing Redhawk and wanted the county to let
them also take the sales tax revenues from the commercial property
-- namely the site of the Wal-Mart store under construction on
Highway 79 South.

Under the recent agreement, the county will let the city have
the sales tax generated from that property in a few years. In the
meantime, the county would give Temecula a one-time payment of $2.8
million to cover the city's costs.

That money will come from a $2.1 million bond to be paid off by
the owners of future homes in Redhawk. The remaining $700,000 comes
from money set aside to pay for some maintenance in Redhawk.

Paul Runkle is a member of the Redhawk Homeowners Association
board and is heading up the community's annexation bid.

"Personally I am very excited," Runkle said. "Annexing into
Temecula will be a win for all the residents of Redhawk."

Redhawk, which sits as sort of an isolated island surrounded on
most sides by the city of Temecula, boasts about 1,950 homes and an
estimated population of about 5,500 people.

Redhawk annexation questions and answers can be found on the
homeowners association Web site at www.redhawkcommunity.com.